Chronicles Of the Vampeneze lord
by Warfang
Summary: Rated M for child abuse and torture. What would happen if we knew why Steve did what he does? Rated more for safety than anything.


Author: Warfang

(I own nothing, except copies of the books)

WE had gotten back from the latest mission.

Steve was rather shaken; he had not planned on his mind being ripped into in such a basic fashion…all on a case of mistaken identity. Now we knew all of the plans of the Vampeneze Lord. We had also seen his childhood memories. Sunny days spent in school with Darren. Moving away from his father. The endless therapy sessions that would do no good. The nights were he could get no sleep, even well into the next morning. Several of the Vampeneze had been sick that night, crying for Steve. He was an unwanted child, an unplanned birth.

'An accident,' Straight from his father's mouth to his current girlfriend- who wasn't Steve's mother. That had been one of his memories, when he was ordered by his mother to leave the dining room suddenly and to not leave his room. So instead, Steve's biological parent (we learned the word from Steve- no one cared for him as a father) had staged a scene where he knew Steve was watching from the bedroom.

No wonder he had father issues.

And that had been the beginning.

We supported him in the aftershock.

We still would, after we learned just how far the idiot mage had sent the broad cast.

* * *

I walked across the floor of the old church, discussing the battle tactics for the upcoming plan.

"It is critical that we kidnap Shancus. I have to fake his death, and now that we have the potion to do so, I snap his neck and we are done."

"Er…he is part snake, Steve. What about the aftershocks? When the snake is dead and in the muscular contortions?"

Steve frowned and was silent for a moment. All Vampeneze had come to respect the silence, the devotion Steve gave to creating the world without the Shadow Lord…..

"I have it. We hang the kid. That cuts off motion for the body, preserving a dead appearance while he breathes just enough from his thick muscles. It will also incite the Cirque to rebel when Darren catches up. He would, of course, wait for back-up, and we have the time to invade while he looks after you, Darrius."

Steve glanced at his son. Darrius beamed up at him, pretending that everything will be okay, that Steve does not have seven days and ten hours to live. Darrius coped by filling up his time with Steve with fond memories. He would soon enough be estranged from him.

Annie knew, and she refused to have any contact with Steve- just had Darrius tell Steve to be strong.

After all, that was how this had all been originally.

For now, Steve sends Darrius out of the church and on home to spend time with Annie, promising to come by later.

I sighed. Steve had been so careful, even from the beginning. I had learned that since he was five, Steve had powerful, prophetic visions. He had seen the Shadow Lord, seen that he or some Darren could become him…and I wished that had been his only trauma.

After Steve met Darren, he resolved to not allow Darren, who was the highlight of Steve's existence, to become the Shadow Lord.

He drove himself into researching Vampires.

That had all culminated the night he met Larten Crepsley. Steve had furiously thought hard on what to do. Keeping his face hidden, he had scanned the possible futures…and decided that sending Darren with Larten was his best shot.

He was devastated that he could not tell Darren 'Hey, I'm about to turn your life upside down. Go have fun!' But what nearly destroyed him was Darren's (perceived) lack of trust in him. Steve had just signed away his friend's life. He did not need Darren pulling away as well.

But when in strife, Steve had created the conditions necessary to reach this point.

Desmond Tiny had sealed their destinies. They could not avoid becoming the Shadow Lord and killing the other, so Steve had reasoned to somehow get Darren to kill him and he kills Darren.

Yeah. He's still working on the details for that one.

But he has also worked on how to form the future for the Vampeneze. The politicians we are formed with can be easily taken out. Steve's whipped up a wonder drug from his own blood to suppress our feeding desires…but there is no cure. In fact, the process weakens Steve as well, but he just smiles through the tests and jokes about taking his vitamins. The Vampeneze have come to a decision. Our descendants will have to abandon that one tradition. He has left the resolution of the clans to me, Gannen Harst. I too, shall put the good of the clan first.

Steve knows that he has made many difficult and poor decisions. But he has seen himself in several of the recruits, in the naïve young men who think quickly, even impulsively, and they are shaping up wonderfully for the fight ahead. The truly insane ones have been quietly dealt with. Steve does not know I have already done so.

Now we plan our attack in Steve's home town. Everything is rushed. Steve only plans to live one more week.

We are hoping that everything goes well. Steve had decided long ago, that as the protector (lord, champion, spoiled brat) of the Vampeneze, that he would take the fall for us. We pray to our gods that he falls gracefully.

There are footsteps approaching us over the floor. The Vampeneze would not be moving, it is still early afternoon.

Darren Shan, Vancha March, and the late Mr. Crepsley walk in the door. I gawk at my younger brother.

Steve is faster on the uptake. "My, my, what brings you here, Darren?" He flawlessly executes the question in a drawling manner, as though Darren is intruding on a private party, instead of shocking the hell out of us.

"Charna's guts." My brother swears, "It is true."

"What is true?" Steve challenges back.

"Everything. All of it. We found them and killed them, but here you are, ready to die for everyone." Darren shakes his head. "I mean, jeez Steve, how far did you think that kid splattered your brain psychically? Not everyone knows, but Hibernius was raving about it and I was wandering what was going on until Vancha told me we were going to go kill some rapists, pedophiles, and all around sickos to find you."

A wry look crossed Darren's face. "I may control spiders telepathically, but I wasn't networked in well enough to catch the broadcast. So, I wanted to apologize to you. Also, you went to all this trouble because you love me and everyone involved (to a degree) so we thought of a thank you at the same time."

"Love does tend to make you do crazy things." Steve confessed shakily. He then started violently. All Darren did was pull out a manila folder, and then take out eight pages. He tossed the pictures so that they landed at our feet.

"It's okay." He stated. "We are certain that these are the men, Steve. Of course, we simply ran out of time and entrusted your mother's fate to Evanna."

The glossed photos of the men who had hurt Steve were displayed. Not a single photo, but stages of their methodical deaths. I knew that Vampires had the basics fro toture, but these had been- well, inspired.

Steve noticed something. "You got my father before Mr. Crepsley died."

"I had wanted to send a personal message, Steve. Even with the destiny ultimately beyond my control, I wished to apologize. A special fortune teller called my ghost back just so I can tell you- I, Larten Crepsley, do formally apologize to Steve Leonard, for calling you evil. Now, that is not my only purpose, I could apologize to you after you die. But I wanted to see your face when I tell you this- the corpse of your father was my tribute to you. Modern crucifixions do not disappoint."

Steve's head snapped up. "You- on a cross-"

"Yes, and then I set him on fire. See you in Paradise, Steve." And in no further adieu, Mr. Crepsley vanished.

Silence filled the church. Steve was holding back tears. He kept gasping out 'thank you' even as he sank to the floor. I remembered those memories. Selling your own child on a nightly basis-urgh.

Darren and Vancha left. "Oh, and everyone knows Steve, except the politicians you are in with. Good plan, anyway." Vancha tossed the comment over his shoulder. Steve just kept crying into his hands.

* * *

Now here we stand at the bridge. Everything has played out as Steve wished. On a sudden, rash impulse I try to convince him to run. He insists we stay. He leads Darren under the bridge to give Darren an advantage in his handicap.

Later, I can hear Steve yelling at Darren, cursing at him, when he's really cursing Darren for missing his shot, and just making up horrible reasons that are really weak to buy time until Darren finally runs him through the heart.

Darren goes into shock. Steve's death is just so final. He had known, dammit, and now he was in shock, and Steve had been working so hard to not allow Darren to become the Shadow Lord. Then Mr. Tiny had shown up to gloat. Oh everything had gone along just fine. Everything had repeated itself; he had foiled his sons' attempt to botch up the present-future by replacing himself and publishing those horrid books.

Steve interrupted him. "Yeah, we know we're your human children. I saw the original future and the backlash second attempt when that kid ripped most of my mind apart a few years ago. But everything culminated last week when Darren had a chance to track me down. But right now, you imposter, I would be very much afraid of when our real father gets back."

Steve then slides the dagger smoothly in and out of Darren's stomach, leaving raged marks as he empties and disrupts the abdominal cavity in front of him.

"You see, as your youngest son I saw what you really are. I know what you did to the real Des Tiny, who is not there to influence us, but to be an annoying, cryptic old guy who dallies. He has no alliance and no preference. Especially of futures."

Darren chimed in. "Yeah, so we are leaving- leaving a new future to take place. And besides, the books are already published. I dropped them off while on the way back to the stadium. Not to mention, that this would happen regardless, because last time, Steve planned everything out and executed it all on his own." Darren inter-twined one of his hands into Steve's.

"Not to mention," Evanna smoothly interjects, "that you are bound by the same rules our father is and he will be back shortly. You missed Steve's revelation being shared."

Well, okay, maybe that hadn't happened originally, but the same people who walked out alive then are the same walking out alive now. Steve and Darren flop into the steam and depart together; the water carries their spirits on to Paradise, to a painting Steve had told me about one night.

'You know, Gannen, I bet in the Afterlife, Vampires and Vampeneze all get along. I remember painting something like that. I was picnicking with Darren and who I know now is Mr. Crepsley, and a fierce looking woman, and you and another vampire with green hair are organizing games with this blind guy…but mostly, I remember being so at peace when I look at that painting. I think 'This is what I fight for.''

I smile and think about all the messes you left me with.

Especially since your line of reasoning for getting Darrius and Shancus to help save us all was, "Well, their names derive from the same source, right? Natural curiosity."

Then again, the Cirque does need to disappear for a while, and mediating the negotiations between Vampeneze and Vampire will take strong, unique characters after all.

Good bye Steve. Even in death, may you be triumphant.

~fin

A/N: Hey, this takes place in the second storyline (after Darren tried to get his future self to publish the book-and in this case, failed. Of course nothing changes-except everyone knows what Steve was thinking).

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